The400Club talks tango, teachers and tea with Di-omar Giraldo Escobar, one of London’s foremost tango teachers, co-host of Corrientes Social Club, and recently returned fresh and recharged from the heart of Buenos Aires

The400Club: So how was the weather?Giraldo: Nice! 35 to 40 degrees.

The400Club: And where were you staying?Giraldo: Boedo – a barrio to the South of Buenos Aires. A great place, it has the feel of a real barrio. A little off the beaten track for many tourists, but an important area for tango. The area was home to Homero Manzi (one of the greatest tango lyrcists of the golden age of tango - Manzi wrote many of the tangos, valses and milongas that we love to dance to, including: Malena, Milonga Sentimental, Milonga Triste, to name just three beginning with the letter M, and of course, Sur, the song most associated with the Boedo area - watch out for a future Homero Manzi special issue of the400club. It is also now home to the Homero Manzi Tango Show, Boedo Tango and the popular tango cub Gricel).

The400Club: And did you spend your time dancing in milongas?Giraldo: No! Learning! In classes with Chicho Frumboli, Sebastian (Arce) y Marian (Montes); Julio Balmaceda; Nathalia y Gabriel and last but not least, Carlitos Perez.

The400Club: Were these private lessons, or open classes?Giraldo: Open classes, at intermediate or advanced level.

The400Club: So what sort of things were your teach-ers interested in conveying?Giraldo: Different things. With Carlitos Perez it’s all about the dynamics… the musicality. Some teach-ers teach sequences, others teach pure technique or an approach. Chicho has great musicality. Mingo Pugliese for example has his own particular method of teaching.

The400Club: And what is an experienced dancer and teacher like you looking to fi nd?Giraldo: New things. Old things. With tango there’s always things to learn. New things to understand; old things to develop or perfect. Every week away from Buenos Aires, I feel the technique slipping, that I’m losing the ‘edge’. The time in Buenos Aires helps to correct bad habits and to develop new skills.

I have been searching for a long time to fi nd an individual dance, to bring some of the ele-ments of tango Nuevo back into traditional sa-lon; combining the musicality of Chicho with the dynamics of Carlitos Perez for example.

The400Club: How do you adapt to les-sons with such different teachers?Giraldo: You must keep an open mind. Let them take you where they want to go – for the dura-tion of the lesson. Then afterwards work out how to incorporate things into your own style. I have been dancing a long time now and taken many lessons. I am able to see the whole body of the teacher, not just the things they explain – ‘to pluck things out of the air’ of the lesson. Some things work for you, some might not work for everyone. I’m interested in fi nding the elegance every time.

The400Club: How does this impact on your life in London – as a teacher, performer and social dancer?Giraldo: I enjoy teaching most of all. And I want to be able to pass new things on. I feel I can take in some of the best from these teachers, absorb it, and then pass it on. For some, the tango can be a ‘selfi sh’ dance – some teachers like to keep things to themselves. I’m not like this. I like to pass things on.

The400Club: Many beautiful dancers seem able to maintain a quality of stillness at the heart of their dance. Could you talk about how this is achieved and what it means to you?Giraldo: This comes from years of practice. It’s in the isolation – the separation of torso from hips from legs; and in developing the ability to think ‘calm’ (whilst the body is doing something else). The mind should control the body – not the other way round! The stillness is also expressed in the embrace. I have worked for many years to de-velop an embrace that is strong, but light. This may sound like a contradiction, but the partner should be controlled, not ‘gripped’. Calitos Pe-rez describes it as being strong, not ‘brutish’.

The400Club: The tango sometimes seems to be a balance, or battle, between passion/expres-sion and control/reserve. The English are famed for the second of these, how about the fi rst?Giraldo: You need to allow the passion to come out more. Let go. Don’t hold back. Let the pas-sion fl ow through every pore of your body.

The400Club: Er. yes… Now how about some tea?!

T A N G O L O N D O NISSUE 2 - A Media Luz SPRING 2009

T h e 4 0 0 C l u bSo, here at The 400 Club, we decided to sub-title this, our second issue, ‘A Media Luz’ after the now (in)famous tango by Carlos César Lenzi and Edgardo Donato. But rather than sticking with the ‘house of assignation’ described in the song, we thought we would follow a more literal translation of the title - ‘in the halfl ight’, and use the opportunity to kick back our heels, take a breather, ‘chill out’ and bring you news from some of the more shady corners of the London tango scene.

And then we thought, if there is one thing that The 400 Club are not good at (apart from a back sacca-da), it’s chilling out and mooching around in dark rooms.

So instead of a low key, mellow meandering through tango esoterica, we give you more of the same revved up, glint in the eye, mix of tango news, views and gossip.

And remember, if you have any comments, or feel that your favorite milonga/dancer/teacher etc. is not suffi ciently represented here, and would like to contribute an item to a future issue, you can contact us by email:

the400club@esharpstyle.co.uk

At The 400 Club, we love the Cortina. Not the classic family car of the 1970s and 80s, but the short piece of, non-dancing, music played between groups of tangos (‘tandas’ to be precise!) at a milonga. The Cortina, translated literally as ‘curtain’, not only gives us all the chance to change partners, sit the next one out, catch our breath etc. but also brings colour, or local fl avour, to each milonga. The ‘non-dancing’ rule is strictly observed in Buenos Aires, as is the ‘always go back to your seat and sit down, even if you’re going to dance the next tanda with the same partner’ rule. London has a somewhat more relaxed attitude.

Nevertheless, you will rarely fi nd the same Cor-tina played at different venues (or even the same venue on different weeks) and DJs pride themselves on their personal choice of song(s). On his blog, Michael Lavocah describes the cortina thus: “The cortina does more than just defi ne the tandas: it’s another way for the DJ to talk to the crowd... a dish you have between the courses of a feast, to clear the palate.” And so here’s our guide to the Cortina, new, used, and downright dirty!

Five Cortinas likely to be heard in Buenos Aires:

1. La Gota Fría - Carlos Vives (Sunderland Club).2. In The Mood - Glenn Miller (La Confi tería Ideal).3. Getting Better All The Time - The Beatles (Centro Cultural Torquato Tasso).4. Milonga Triste – Oscar Alemán (a bossa nova ver-sion that they played constantly one night at Sun-derland Club).5. And numerous Cumbia Plate songs far too ob-scure to mention!

Five Cortinas likely to be heard in London:

1. Una Aventura or Piel Canela - La Sonora Ma-tancera with Vincentico Valdes (Corrientes)2. Pretty much anything by Chico Buarque (Corri-entes again).3. Strangers in the Night differing versions, includ-ing, of course, Frank Sinatra; or more recently Just Walking In The Rain - Johnnie Ray (Milonga Sur).4.Percussion (Pt. 1) Domingo Cura (Corrientes, La Portentita, et al. when introducing the Chacarera).5. Silence (the people at The Dome just don’t like cortinas!)

Five Cortinas we would like to hear at a milonga near you soon (and it’s up to you as to whether you believe the titles have any kind of hidden mean-ing!):

1.You’re Just Too Good To Be True – Andy Williams2. Baby It’s You – The Shirelles3. Golden Brown – The Stranglers4. Tainted Love – Gloria Jones5. I’m No Good – Amy Winehouse (thanks to Leon-ardo for suggesting this by playing it at the end of a Sunday night “La Portenita” milonga at The Bed-ford – and it’s going down a storm with the wife!).

Thanks to Giraldo, Tom and Michael Lavocah for helping compile the rest of this list.

Our Man In Boedo

‘Ello John Got A New Motor?

Loyd y Sandra

The400club love neat feet and we asked Sophie Tango (from Tango in Action) to tell us more...

Where do I look when I watch tango dancers? At the ladies feet, fi rst. I can’t help it! It’s where the most movement happens, it’s the colourful pretty shoes, it’s the decorations. Then my eyes glide up to the embrace, the shoulders, the faces. But the feet is probably what I spend most of my time looking at.

Men’s feet are no less remarkable, but clad in dark shoes, half hidden under their trouser legs, and much less prone to decorate, they are more subtle, much less boisterous. I know it’s unfair, to look so much at feet when class after class all the teach-ers repeat endlessly: don’t think about your feet, don’t dance with your feet. But a dancer’s feet tell me about her posture, her balance, if she is tense or relaxed. I don’t look much at the fi gures that the man’s doing. I just look at that dancer, where she’s been in her tango journey, where her dancing focus is, what her mindset is.

I value hard work and focus, and every now and again I see feet that inspire me, that make me want to take my tango onwards in a new direction. From the very onset of my tuition, I was taught to mind my feet and pay attention to technique. To collect my ankles rather than my soles, to understand the ball of the foot and it’s unforgiving round nature, to understand the relationship between toes and an-kle, and between foot and back. To feel the ground into which I push, and the energy I get back from the ground. I spent endless hours working it in front of a mirror, correcting my toes, my ankles, then my knees, my hips, my ribcage, my shoulders, my head. Because it’s not just about the feet, my entire body is affected by what I do with them.

Continuous practice at the bus stop, while waiting for the kettle to boil, in the studio, have ingrained technique into my body. I don’t collect sloppily any-more, with a big toe like a dead appendage or let-ting the ankle drop the foot outwards like it is by nature feebily designed to do. I’ve had to correct not pushing too much on the inside of my feet, which puts too much of a strain onto a small and fragile area of the foot.

Applying it all into decorations was the next step, engaging my feet, ankles, knees and hips into a new challenge, ever more fl exible, ever more dynamic, ever more relaxed. Then hours of work were put into letting relax any muscle not needed to obtain the movement. And with the lesson of relaxation, my dancing changed, the relaxation creeped up to my torso, and one day I fi nally experienced and un-derstood some movements I was forcing until then. A whole new horizon of movement was suddenly open for me, with spectacular legs. But I still had to go back to my early focus on the foot, so that those beautiful free legs wouldn’t be ending in forgotten, droopy, ugly feet.

In the milonga, I don’t have to think aboutmy feet at all. I am free to move, to apply decora-tions expressing the music. I dance with self-execut-ing pretty feet, just keeping my focus on him, the music, the sensations of the dance. My technique comes in on its own to let me execute anything, to stay balanced, connected throughout the dance no matter what surprises he may lead me. It’s my safety net, the hours of practice paying off. Cur-rently, my partners generally still feel it when I do a lot with my feet, but can’t tell what it is. Every now and again, they don’t feel anything when I decorate. This is my next challenge, inbedding my foot move-ment in such relaxation so that it doesn’t creep up to my partner. Because it’s not about the feet, it’s all about the dancing with him and the music.

Sophie was taught her initial core technique by Andrea Misse. For the last 3 years she has been developing it ex-tensively with Alexandra Wood. Her favourite dancer’s feet are those of Alejandra Mantinan.

A Media LUZ(Part I)

Pretty Feet

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Congratulations to Loyd and Sandra, teachers and organisers of Gallo Ciego Tango Club (www.tangoin-brum.co.uk), on their recent performances at Corrientes Social Club and Tango South London. The400club liked very much their classy, elegant, wholly improvised style of dancing. Having studied with Javier Ro-driguez y Andrea Misse, they have developed an approach which “takes away the things that are not nec-cessary” to leave time and space for glorious decoration and footwork. We particularly enjoyed the milonga class before their perfomance at Tango South London, which started with basic exercises and built to a crescendo of toe tapping and feet fl icking. We wish them well for the coming year.

A Media Luz (part II)

A Media Luz in Malaga

Bev C reports back for The400Club from one of the small-er milongas south of the river:

TangoSouthLondon is a tango community fl ourish-ing in East Dulwich. It is operated by Claire Loewe who has been teaching beginner, intermediate and advanced levels in London for over 4 years. She trained in Buenos Aires and London with dancers including Leandro Palou and Andrea Misse, Miguel Zotto, Gustavo Navierra and Giselle-Anne. She teaches with Luis Rodriguez who also studied in Buenos Aires, his birthplace, with masters including Claudio Gaonzales, Julio Balmaceda y Corina de la Rosa, Roberto Herra, Milena Plebs . The characteris-tics of the tango they teach are passion, improvisa-tion, musicality and connection. Their students can often be seen out at weekends - dancing, talking and laughing with everyone at the usual milonga’s.

But come the last Sunday of every month, they head home to TangoSouthLondon where a milonga is held at The Constitutional Club in East Dulwich. It starts at 7:15pm with a Milonga class (so if you have never been shown the basic steps for milonga this is the perfect introduction) and is followed at 8:15 to 11pm by the Milonga Ball. The music is mostly traditional tango, with the odd tango Nuevo track thrown in. And the inevitable salsa break is always a great time for the non-salsa dancers among us to get the drinks in.

One of the defi ning qualities about this milonga is the people who attend. Although a large contin-gent are pupils of TangoSouthLondon, there are also always many people who have discovered for themselves this warm, friendly tango commu-nity - where they are treated like old friends and welcomed whole heartedly. The venue is always decorated gloriously, treats are laid out on tables and there is a large friendly bar out front. The large, wooden fl oor with plenty of seating around the edge means you’re always visible to possible dance partners and the DJing is usually shared between Claire and Luis, making sure the blend of tangos played is just right.

See more details at www.tangosouthlondon.co.uk

Then in 1963, D’Arienzo, on D’Arienzo for Export - the fi rst stereo LP ever recorded in Argentina - records a wonderful stereo version with delicate phrasing, subtlety and wit - not terms often asso-ciated with the master. Around this time it’s also recorded by the sparkling Quinteto Real. There are also three (count them!) versions from Florindo Sassone, the last in 1967 with a 54 piece orchestra. I used to hate Sassone’s versions, but they’re begin-ning to creep up on me... The following year Italian diva Milva included it on her irresistible album of tangos, with an Italian lyric.

Of contemporary versions, the best one must be gui-tarist Juanjo Domínguez’s 2001 two-speed version on his album Mis tangos preferidos 2. Juanjo starts slow, but then demonstrates why his friends nick-name him machine-gun Domínguez.

And here’s the details of Michael’s recommendations:

Donato’s fun-fi lled 1941 recording is on EURO records Colección 78rpm (EU-17019). If you only have one ver-sion of A Media Luz, it should be this one.

Canaro’s wonderful 1927 version is available from Harlequin and from the Spanish Blue Moon label (the same house as El Bandoneón), either on Alma Tanguera (BMT-026) or - a better purchase - the double CD in their series Los grandes orquestas del tango (BMT-601).

Enrique Rodríguez’s recording is on the fi ne CD Tangos con Armando Moreno on Reliquias.

Juan D’Arienzo’s album Tango for Export has been re-printed on CD and is still available. Wonderful stuff. Juanjo Domínguez: Mis tangos preferidos 2 is deleted, but we still have a few copies available.

Firpo’s 1927 version isn’t commercially available, sorry. If you want to hear the 1934 version, get Tangazos de antaño on Reliquias.

Alfredo Gobbi’s version is on the CD Instrumentales Inolvidables on Tango Argentino, but you won’t buy it because the cover is really ugly.

To hear the Quinteto Real, simply buy the 2 CD com-pilation Nuestros 30 mejores temas on Sony. Stunning playing throughout by its fi ve members. The fi rst time I heard this album, I sat transfi xed in an armchair from start to fi nish.

Milva’s album Tango has been reprinted and is still available. You’ve got to hear it!

Of Sassone’s three versions, you can skip the vocal one. His fi rst stereo version is on Bien milonguero Vol. 2 on Reliquias. Despite myself, I am beginning to like it. Bet-ter if you can fi nd it is the 1967 recording with a 54 piece orchestra. This was released by EPSA on the classic CD Tangos de Oro. Again it’s deleted but we have a few left.

For further details contact www.milonga.co.uk.

And Finally...The 400 Club is an irregularly produced, amateur newsletter for the London Tango scene. We do not intend to cause offence to any parties and take no responsibility for the accuracy of information, views or otherwise expressed in this newsletter.

The next issue will arrive when and if we have suffi cient time and inclina-tion to get round to doing one. If in the meantime, if you have any com-ments or would like to contribute an item please contact us by email:

the400club@esharpstyle.co.uk

Michael Lavocah from www.milonga.co.uk brings us more advice and recommendations on the theme of A Media Luz.

Sometimes it’s better not to tell people that you dance, or worse still teach, Argentine tango (Oh gosh! Wow! The passion! etc etc). Unfortunately I found myself making this most basic of errors sev-eral times recently when, at a 5 day workshop for Tai Chi instructors in Spain, I was asked how it was I spoke Spanish.

We sat at tables for four at mealtimes and on one occasion my interlocutor - let’s call her Pipu - burst into the tango ‘A media luz’ (In the twilight). Have you been to Corrientes 348 she asked? I had. (There’s nothing there). Seeking to cool her enthusi-asm, I told her that the lyric was about brothels, but this had no effect on her whatsoever. Oh yes! The tango! At a workshop of 150 people, you might be surprised how often you bump into someone you’d rather not. The next day, Pipu cornered me on the staircase. “We must sing ‘A media luz’ together”, she declared. Oh god. I’m a tanguero, get me out of here.

Anyway, misgivings aside, ‘A media luz’ is a won-derful tango, and you can always pretend that the lyric is about a guy being invited round to dinner by his girlfriend(s). Perhaps the best version is the sparkling interpretation by it’s composer, Edgardo Donato. Surprisingly, given that Donato recorded prolifi cally in his early years, he didn’t put the tune on wax until 1941, when Horacio Lagos is the vo-calist. Maybe he didn’t know how big a hit it was going to be. Also recording it around this time is Enrique Rodríguez.

For a guardia vieja performance, we turn fi rst to that old favourite Francisco Canaro. When the indus-try switched from acoustic to electrical recordings in 1926, it was the fi rst track that Canaro recorded with the new technology. His completely charm-ing instrumental version survives with impeccable fi delity. Amazingly it’s never been reprinted on an Argentine label (buying recommendations below).

The piece was recorded in 1927 by Orquesta Agesi-lao Ferrazzano, but despite some lovely violin play-ing their interpretation sounds leaden compared to Canaro’s delicate touch. Much better is Firpo’s lit-tle-heard 1927 recording, which is just a little more solid than Canaro and almost as charming. Firpo re-cords it again in 1934, this time with a vocalist (and chorus!), with the punchy bass and vibrating vio-lins typical of his work from this period - defi nitely worth hearing.

The composition continued to attract recordings from famous artists: Canaro (again) in 1951, this time with Alberto Arenas on vocals; Alfredo Gobbi (instrumental) in 1955, an excellent version; Alfredo De Angelis (1956) – an overblown instrumental ver-sion I just can’t stand.

THE 400 CLUB Issue 2 - A MEDIA LUZ SPRING 2009

Gladrags and Handbags:

The Well-Tailored Ankle

More news from fashion’s frontline:

How right that Sophie Tango is. Nothing, but nothing, beats a beautiful lower leg! And to be yet clearer, noth-ing beats a beautiful lower leg be-decked in softest silk, naughty nylon or arrogant argyle. Yes, we’re talking about the sexiest thing between shin and shoe - the well-tailored ankle.

So when you’re next laying out that Saturday night spe-cial - combining the sophistication of skirt / trouser / with top and tassle etc., don’t forget that the lower leg is just as important as the fl ower in the hair or the tweak of the tie knot.

Yes, fi nd the colour of sock or stocking that matches the glint in your eye. And remember, like with underwear, it doesn’t matter whether or not the watcher gets an eyefull - its’s the fact that you know that your cuff and collar match that’s important! Now... where did I put those sock suspenders!

La Noche De Las Estrellas

I don’t know, you wait 3 months for a speciel mi-longa night to come along and then three turn up all at the same time!. Yes, this coming May 16th is a true night of the stars, where you will fi nd:

Miguel Angel Zotto performing at Tango in Ac-tion’s Fiesta De Tango in Southwark;

Aureliano Tango Club live at Corrientes in Chalk Farm;

Roberto Bolletin y Mariana Bocalatte at Rojo y Ne-gro’s Tango Rojo festival in Bayswater.

Now, we know you can never have too much of a good thing, but... just how are we supposed to chose between these three tempting treats?

Well, we had considered fl itting between all three in a chauffeur driven limousine, but after consult-ing The400Club balance sheet, we decided this was just not advisable at present! Instead we are going to rely upon you - the dancing public, to bring us back reports from this glorious night of Galacticos. So if you’re out and about on May 16th, and felt amazed, stunned or simply disapointed, email us at: the400club@esharpstyle.co.uk and tell us how it happened.

Tina B. reports for The400Club from one of the more sa-lubrious tango venues in London.

As a lover of historical buildings and tango, the milonga on Sunday nights at 33 Portland Place is a pleasure and delight of candlelight, faded elegance and style. I had not been for some time. On my last visit there had been one dance area, in what was, I believe the glass-roofed billiard room, with an an-teroom for drinks. Lots of candles making interest-ing shadows leading you through the rooms. It is a novel venue, and everyone was curious, even the holes in the ancient wooden fl oors did not seem to deter anyone from dancing.

As I entered this time I knew things had changed. Noami, Kris, Alex and Silvia had obviously gained confi dence with their venture and had come to know their venue intimately. From a warm welcome in the foyer, in the hall, there are now racks for coats, and space for belongings. The ground fl oor ante room was buzzing with conversation and again full of candles, throwing a fl attering light around the room. The original dance area, now appears to be given over for practice, and the main dancing takes place in one of the large salons on the fi rst fl oor.

Following the elegant staircase upwards will lead you into the faded splendour of the fi rst fl oor ante-room and main salon, huge fi replaces, mirrors, peel-ing wallpaper, more candles of course, and drinks. A shame there was no clinking crystal, but I fully understood the need for plastic cups rather than glassware. Over to the dividing doors and a look into the salon where the tango couples are danc-ing in front of high windows overlooking Portland Place. Elegant couches and chairs around the room enable a good view of the dance fl oor, stairwell and anteroom. Useful if you are keeping an eye open for friends or potential partners. The music was a mix-ture of old and new, and interesting. There was an atmosphere of conviviality and comfort, with lots of good humour and chat, not always apparent at some milongas; this was perhaps encouraged by the design of the house.

Who was there? As you know, as we move between milongas there are people we know well, some are just nodding acquaintances, and there are always new comers or visitors from out of town or abroad. It was a combination of all these with perhaps a be-ginner too many in the main salon, whose partner should have known better than to teach on the main dance fl oor.

I had an opportunity to compliment Silvia on the team’s achievement at No 33. They had had at least fi fty people in the beginners’ class that night, and there are plans in place to bring in more teachers to work with those progressing to intermediate and advanced level. The fl oor in the main salon is to be completely refurbished over the coming month and this will only enhance an already wonderful venue.

We all have our favourite milongas, for a variety of reasons, but this grand eighteenth century house, which is also rated as one of the most exclusive par-ty venues in London, is well worth a visit. The next Sunday night you want to dance, and you want to visit a place with a truly original atmosphere, this is the place to be. To Tango at No 33, Happy First Anniversary!

For more information visit: www.tangoat33.com

STOP PRESS!!!Julia Wilkinson and Oscar Acebrás, tango singer and musician, were married at Southwark Registry Offi ce on Saturday 11th April 2009 at 1.30pm.

They met seven years ago at a milonga at the Lec-ture Hall in Wimbledon. Romantically, and in true tango fashion, Oscar sang his promises to Julia at the ceremony. The400club would like to wish Oscar and Julia all the best for the future (and thanks once again to Oscar for helping make a wonderful night at Milonga Sur the other week - just magical).

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Milongas Regulares... (a non-comprehensive list)

Mondays: A day of rest!Tuesdays: Dance Tango at Vino Latinos, Langham Court. Hotel W1.Wednesdays: Zero hour at The Dome, Tufnel Park N19.Thursdays: Rojo y Negro at Latvian House, Queensway W2.Fridays: Negracha at The Wild Court, Holborn WC2; Carablanca at Conway Hall WC1; Midnight Milonga at The Tango Club, Covent Garden WC1Saturdays: Corrientes Social Club at Haverstock School, Chalk Farm NW1 (two Saturdays a month);

Sat. (contd.) Dance Tango or El Once at The Crypt, St. James Church, Clerkenwell EC1 (alternate Saturdays). Milonga Sur at The Old Whitgiftians, Croyden (once a month);Sundays: El Portenito at The Bedford, Balham SW12 (every other week); Tangology at The Wild Court, Holdorn WC2; Tango at 33 Portland Place, W1; Tango South London at The Costitutional Club, Dulwich (last Sunday of the month).please ALWAYS check dates and times with organisers BEFORE making plans.

London Milonga Review II

Faded Elegance And Style

(that’s the building, not the punters!)

London Milonga Review I

Vuelve Al Sur